May Mini Event - You Just Missed Him

[pumpkinhollow]

Concept and majority writing for primary event provided by Nimbus. Please shower them your praise and adulation for their work! Thank you!

Pumpkin Hollow Community Bulletin

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Yorick whistles pleasantly as he hangs up a new main announcement on the central bulletin board in town. There is an advertisement posted, bearing bold lettering. It reads:

For Health's Sake!

To ensure that proper care continues to be available for all in our growing community, we are pleased to announce a drive to increase supplies for medical use. No contribution is too small, and anything is appreciated. If you want to contribute but are not sure how, ask! Additionally, please see an attached list of dates and times at which various courses on first aid will be available. CPR is a highly valuable skill--- save lives! Please direct all inquiries to Cpt. Johnathan Tuttle.

The signature of one Captain Tuttle emblazes the bottom of the flier, along with that of Mayor Poe to indicate her approval of the project. There is also a date and time listed.

When did the ferry come? Why hasn’t this Tuttle gentleman been at any other events, like the job fair? (Wait, was he at the job fair? Suddenly you’re not sure.) If you ask Mayor Poe, she’ll tell you she can’t remember when she signed the paper but she remembers it happening, and she remembers that “John” (a surprising amount of familiarity from Hellen) stopped by a few days ago with it. What did he look like? What do you mean, what does he look like? Everyone knows what he looks like. But if you somehow managed to miss him, he’s a tall, fair-skinned man with auburn hair who looks like a soldier.

The rest of the people around town will all say the same. Dahlia, Neil, Degas, Yorick, Ambrose, Juniper, Dottie down at Empty Pockets, even Mr. Pennyburrow--- they all met him at one point and describe him the same way. He evidently came by recently, but you just missed him.

If you need something signed by the Captain, leave it with Dahlia. It will be signed in a timely manner, always just a bit before you come to pick it up. Anywhere you’re told you can find him, he just left. Oftentimes the reason he’s missing is to address an emergency, and the victims of said emergencies always recall the exact same man described by Mayor Poe having rescued them. You begin to feel like you probably have seen him, and your mind is just playing tricks. Surely you must have, right?

And of course, right as the drive is set to begin, all medical personnel in town (including the retired Agnes Winterbottom, the folks working at the apothecary, and even Anders, the local veterinarian) will wake up with a gift basket. They’re simple things containing mostly fruit and wrapped pastries, perhaps a book or candle or other small, pleasant item, each one incredibly thoughtful as if he knows the recipient personally. There is a signed thank you card in each one, with the same signature.

Captain Tuttle. Who is he? You must know, lest you go mad. Spend the days leading up to the charity drive investigating, or confront him at the drive itself--- surely there’s some way to see him!

Bonus Activities!

Speed Dating

Looking for love? On one of the days leading up to the healthcare charity drive, town square is set up with tables for a speed dating event! Entry costs 10 Brass per person, and all proceeds go to help the charity drive.

When you sit down with your partner, you will have 10 minutes to each discuss one icebreaker question of your choice. Here’s a list of ideas:

1. What is the best gift you’ve ever received? What did you love about it?
2. What is something that you’ve tried once but will never do again? Do you regret doing it?
3. Do you find it more fulfilling to create things that are practical or things that are beautiful?
4. What is the strongest animal or monster that you think you could defeat in unarmed combat?
5. Do you have any pet peeves?
6. Describe your dream home.
7. What is your most prized possession that you have ever owned? Do you still have it?
8. How do you prefer to spend a rainy day?
9. How would you describe your clothing preferences?
10. What is the dumbest thing you’ve ever spent money on?
11. How long do you think it would take you to realize that you were permanently cured of hiccups and would never have them again?
12. What is something that you wish you could be good at immediately?
13. If you could have a magical item that performs one function that is customized specifically to your needs, what would it do?
14. If you suddenly had infinite money, what’s the first thing you would do with it?
15. Between the two, would you prefer to go to a black tie formal party or a silly costume party?
You can also pick your own topic, if you have one! To participate, please reply to the speed dating toplevel below and tag out to at least one other speed dater. You are strongly encouraged to seek out those with fewer tags to keep things even. You may tag out as many times as you would like. Please include your age and preferred age range in your comment title and speed date appropriately. Have fun!

Town Council Elections

A member of the Pumpkin Hollow Town Council is retiring in a few months. Elections are opening for one new member! Interested in getting in on your local government? Start your campaign here! On the comment below, create a flier (either through formatting or just a narrative description of how it looks) with your information! In the title, put your name, age, and length of residency. The flier itself should discuss your experience, your values, and your ideal policies.

Elections will be held in September. Both PCs and NPCs will vote, so you will need to appeal to the townsfolk in general as well. Good luck!

Comments

[psalmofseasons]

Serranai lets out a long sigh, looking a bit helpless. "Oh, sweet thing, you know that I would any time. But I'm runnin' out of time to be here. I don't ever really leave, but once my season goes, I don't think I'll be strong enough to come here in person..."

[theydrewfirstblood]

John falls briefly silent, more thoughtful than sad. Four goddesses, four seasons…that kind of makes sense. And it’s comforting in its own way, the consistency of the natural world, even if someone has to lose something to the cycle.

It’s not like war. There’s a rhyme and a reason to the loss.

“What about not in person?” He asks after a moment. “Maybe a flower or a breeze? So I know you’re there even if I can’t see you? Or can you…do you have to stay mostly away when your time is done?”

[psalmofseasons]

"Oh, no, my lovely, I'm always here. I'm the land itself, I'm in every tree and flower, every waxing moon. I'm a promise. The promise that spring and hope and the sun always return," she assures him. "Even a little rock from the ground has a piece of my soul in it. But I ought to give you something special... Hmm." She reaches up to her antlers and pulls off one of the glass beads--- a green sphere with a flower encased inside, hanging from a thin leather strip. "Here. Keep that with you. And don't you worry, Kora will take good care of you in the summer."

[theydrewfirstblood]

John accepts the little token, running his fingers along the thin leather cord, holding the bead to the light.

For a second, he thinks of Co—and it hurts, but not so bad. It’s…bittersweet.

“I lost someone back home—she died protecting me.” He admits, eyes growing overbright. “She, uh…she wore a jade pendant for good luck.”

He smiles, tears slipping free. No others follow as he slips the leather cord around his neck and settles the bead against his chest before brushing the tears aside.

“…this means a lot to me, Serann—Sera. Thank you.”

[psalmofseasons]

Serranai leans across the table to cup his cheek and kiss him softly. "I'm a promise. Spring always comes back. You won't have to miss me for long."

[theydrewfirstblood]

John shuts his eyes as her lips meet his. The hand on his cheek burns a little, but the kiss doesn’t. It’s just…warm. Sunshine warm.

He kisses her back, and it’s painfully fleeting, but when it breaks he feels better than he has since—well, since he walked away from Sam.

“I’ll be here.” He promises her softly. He lifts his hand, freezes…then lets himself reach out to touch her cheek in turn.

It’s been so long since he’s been able to reach out and touch something good, and it makes him smile.

“I’ll grow some flowers for you when you get back.”

[psalmofseasons]

"I won't be gone," she reminds him. "Just quiet. But every morning when you put your feet on the ground, I'm there."

She brushes a lock of his wild, dark hair free from his face. "I do appreciate the flowers, though. And any monsters you shoot in the face with an arrow."

[theydrewfirstblood]

He actually laughs at that, and it feels so good.

“I’ll have to find an upgrade to the one I made for myself then.” He chuckles, brushing his thumb against the point of her chin before withdrawing his hand from her face reluctantly. “It’s barely good enough for deer…but I’ll make it work for you. Flowers and arrows in monster faces. You got it.”